Thursday, January 26, 2023

Is that spring in the air?

Worldwide (Map
January 26, 2023 – 669,818,916confirmed infections; 6,820,465 deaths
January 27, 2022 - 363,582,100 confirmed infections; 5,630,850 deaths
January 28, 2021 – 100,920,100 confirmed infections; 2,175,500 deaths

US (Map
January 26, 2023 – 102,254,233 confirmed infections; 1,107,466 deaths
January 27, 2022 -   72,991,900 confirmed infections;     876,800 deaths
January 28, 2021 –  25,600,000 confirmed infections;    429,160 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal
January 20, 2023 - 4,054,803confirmed infections; 102,595 deaths
January 27, 2022 - 3,590,400 confirmed infections;    94,495 deaths
January 28, 2021 – 1,430,650 confirmed infections;   42,550 deaths

Post from:
January 27, 2022 - “Turn, turn, turn ” 
January 28, 2021 – “Anniversary” 

News blues…

It turns out that early waves of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza peaked before the new year, according to new data from the [US] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the expected winter uptick of coronavirus is nowhere close to overwhelming hospitals, as it did in 2021 when covid wards were filled with unvaccinated people struggling to breathe and last winter when the highly transmissible omicron variant ignited a massive wave of illness.
Read more >> 
***
XBB.1.5 is a spinoff of XBB, a subvariant of omicron that health officials worldwide have been warning about since the fall. XBB.1.5 is considered a recombinant virus because it carries genetic data from two previous mutations, Nexstar’s The Hill reports. XBB was first detected in India in August and spread quickly through Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization. At the time, the WHO described XBB as “the most antibody-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variant identified to date.”
Since first being discovered, XBB has evolved and now has two subvariants, XBB.1 and XBB.1.5. XBB.1.5 differs from its family members because it has a mutation that allows it to better bind to cells, Andrew Pekosz, a virologist for Johns Hopkins University, told CNBC. That ability to bind gives it a better chance of infecting people.
Earlier this month, XBB.1.5 began sweeping through the Northeast. As of Thursday, the CDC reports the variant makes up roughly 82% of cases in New England, New York, and New Jersey. It’s now becoming more prevalent across states along the East Coast.
Read more >> 
***
The [US] Food and Drug Administration is considering a major shift in the nation's COVID-19 vaccine strategy.
The goal is to simplify vaccination against COVID and perhaps adopt an approach similar to what is used for the flu vaccine, with annual updates to match whatever strain of the virus is circulating. This is according to a federal official who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
NPR reported the proposed shift early Monday morning, and later Monday the FDA outlined it publicly in a set of documents released in advance of a meeting Thursday of the agency's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). The committee will vote on the agency's proposal. Currently, people who want to be fully vaccinated against COVID have to first get their primary vaccinations — two shots of the original vaccine spaced weeks apart. That's followed at least two months later by a booster, currently the bivalent shot that's tailored to protect against omicron.
Under the new approach, most people would be advised to simply get whatever the latest version of the vaccine is annually each fall like the flu vaccine. They wouldn't have to worry about how many shots they've already gotten and which one they got when. Those who still need to receive two doses initially, such as young children and older people, would use the same formulation for all three shots.
Read more >> 
About 80% of China’s population has been infected with Covid-19 since restrictions were lifted in early December, Chinese health authorities have said.
The figure, which would equate to about 1.2 billion people but cannot be confirmed by outside bodies, prompted some pandemic experts to estimate that more than 1 million may have died – far more than the government’s official tally of about 72,000.
Read more >> 

On war… and culture war
A diversion from the usual…
In an out of the way area of South Africa, near the Orange River, lies the growing town of Orania. This “homeland for Whites” offers a way of life to predominantly Afrikaner people “far from the madding crowd.”
Check out with cultural anomaly presented in this 16 minute video show >> 
***
The Lincoln Project:
Still here  (0:50 mins)
MTG and McCarthy  (1:35 mins)
The way I handle things  (0:29 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party – January 24, 2023  (1:50 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

There’s …
a murky brown sheen sitting on the surface of the South African city’s harbour, where brilliantly white yachts worth millions of rand float in water contaminated with human excrement.
“We all call it Shit Creek,” said Brad Groddler, 50, a boat captain who takes tourists out for whale-watching and fishing trips.
Ever since deadly floods in April last year damaged an already ailing sewage and water system, millions of litres of untreated sewage have spilled into the beaches, rivers, harbours and ocean in and around Durban.
Between April and December many of the city’s beaches – which usually draw hundreds of thousands of tourists for the southern hemisphere’s summer – were closed after critical levels of E coli, a bacteria that can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, were found in the water.
Nine months after the floods, environmental scientists say contamination is still a big problem.
Read more >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Here in California, we’re experiencing promising signs of spring on the way: sunshine, people out and about enjoying that sunshine, warmer temperatures, and teeny tiny buds of greenery in trees and plants.
I say, enjoy this while we can!

Friday, January 20, 2023

Here comes the sun

Worldwide (Map
January 20, 2023 – 668,465,287 confirmed infections; 6,736,686 deaths
January 20, 2022 – 317,486,000 confirmed infections; 5,516,000 deaths
January 21, 2021 –  96,830,000 confirmed infections;  2,074,000 deaths

US (Map
January 20, 2023 – 101,964,661confirmed infections;  1,103,724 deaths
January 20, 2022 – 338,550,400 confirmed infections; 5,568,100 deaths
January 21, 2021 – 24,450,000 confirmed infections:     406,100 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal
January 20, 2023 - 4,053,527 confirmed infections; 102,568 deaths
January 20, 2022 – 3,564,600 confirmed infections;  93,571 deaths 
January 21, 2021 – 1,370,000 confirmed infections;  38,900 deaths

Post from:
January 20, 2022 - “Plus ça change” 
January 21, 2021 – “The vulgarian has left the building” 

News blues…

COVID is never going away. But the pandemic will inevitably end at some point. Right?
For many, it already has, with masks, social distancing, and frequent handwashing relegated to a traumatic past they’re unwilling to revisit.
[Recently] the Biden administration extended the U.S. public health emergency for another 90 days, though U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials recently warned states that the emergency status may soon come to an end. World Health Organization officials, too, continue to express optimism that the global health emergency may draw to a close this year. A committee meeting on the matter is set for Jan. 27.
Are we—or are we not—still in a pandemic, three years in?
Read “COVID keeps surging, but life is returning to normal everywhere you look. When will the pandemic really be over?” 
***
The Lincoln Project:
Decision  (1:20 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Look on the bright side: We the People face unprecedented weather …and this ground squirrel is doing its best to warn us to, "for god's sake, do something about climate change"…

***
The United States endured 18 separate disasters in 2022 whose damages exceeded $1 billion, with the total coming to $165 billion, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
… Extreme weather events, fueled by human-caused climate change, are occurring at a higher frequency with an increased cost — in dollars and lives.
"Climate change is creating more and more intense, extreme events that cause significant damage and often sets off cascading hazards like intense drought, followed by devastating wildfires, followed by dangerous flooding and mudslides," said Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA's administrator, citing the flooding and landslides currently happening in California.
Read more >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

As it did yesterday morning, a large, shiny golden orb appeared in the eastern section of the sky this morning. I assume it will disappear, as it did yesterday, in the western section of the sky at the end of day. I’ve not seen this golden orb for weeks. It is very welcome.
***
Reading the tealeaves, Meso Mary is in for a rough ride. Her latest PET scan shows “hypermetabolic” activity “under the diaphragm”. Translated: the cancer has spread outside the thoracic cavity (her lung pleura) and into her “belly.” Moreover, it has entered the lymph system.
This is scary stuff. 
As Mary – and I – absorb this news, we’re also preparing for the next phase of her treatment: immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy has successfully treated mesothelioma in some patients – at least for a period of time. Mesothelioma, however, is not curable. It goes underground for a period then flares up again. Immunotherapy can create longer periods between resurgence of the disease. That’s not to be sneezed at.
The downside of immunotherapy? The immune system can ‘over-react’ and ‘attack’ organs it assumes are ill or inflamed … leading to damaged liver, or kidneys, or adrenals, or heart, or ….
Alas.
Neither Mary nor I will, as we’d planned, travel to South Africa at the end of this month. Indeed, given the treatment’s expected course, we’ll not travel there until at least August.
***
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 7:29am
Sunset: 5:10pm
Sun... welcome, sun!
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:18am
Sunset: 7:01pm


Thursday, January 12, 2023

Bogged down

Worldwide (Map
January 12, 2023 – 665,599,815 confirmed infections; 6,714,255 deaths
January 13, 2022 – 317,486,000 confirmed infections; 5,516,000 deaths
January 14, 2021 –  92,314,000 confirmed infections; 1,977,900 deaths

US (Map
January 12, 2023 – 101,511,950 confirmed infections; 1,098,512 deeaths
January 13, 2022 –  63,232,340 confirmed infections;   844,650 deaths
January 14, 2021 –  23,071,100 confirmed infections;  384,635 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal
January 12, 2023 - 4,050,290 confirmed infections; 102,568 deaths
January 13, 2022 – 3,540,900 confirmed infections;  92,830 deaths 
January 14, 2021 – 1,278,305 confirmed infections;  35,140 deaths

Post from January 13, 2022 - “The beat goes on…” 

News blues…

Four weeks ago, the XBB.1.5 variant caused less than 10% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Now it causes more than 25% of them. Virologists including Andy Pekosz, a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, are paying attention. Should the general public be concerned?
The Bloomberg School of Public Health provided this Q&A with Pekosz to help explain what virologists are seeing, what this new variant means for case rates and treatments, and why it’s so important for more people to get the bivalent booster.
Read “What you need to know about XBB.1.5, Omicron’s latest variant” >> 

People who haven't had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected, experts say.
Variant XBB.1.5 is very contagious, meaning everyone is at risk even if you've already been infected. As the U.S. enters year 3 of the pandemic, here's an update on the state of COVID.
Read more >>

COVID-19 is more widespread in animals than we thought. From lions and tigers to big hairy armadillos, a growing number of animals have been infected with the coronavirus. 
Here’s what we’ve learned >> 
***
The Lincoln Project:
Warning  (1:11 mins)
What has violence ever accomplished? (0:30 mins)
Presidential Citizens Medal Ceremony  (2:07 mins)
Kingmaker  (1:25 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party - January 10, 2023 (2:13 mins)
Last year in the Republican Party - January 6, 2023 (2:20 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

To bee or not to bee?
The USDA has issued a conditional vaccine license as its “first licensure of a honeybee product.”
“We hope the availability of this product will aid in the prevention and/or treatment of the disease American Foulbrood in honeybees given their central role in American agriculture (e.g. pollination),” said the USDA.
Read more >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Raining, raining, raining…. My part of California – inner bay – is soggy, floody in some spots, hosting fallen trees, but essentially doing well in comparison to many other areas of this state. It is cold and wet: a weather combination that makes one feel truly bogged down. And more rain forecast for the coming week. 
***
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 7:24am
Sunset: 5:10pm
More rain, rain, rain….
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:11am
Sunset: 7:03pm
More rain, rain, rain….


Thursday, January 5, 2023

Meanwhile...

Worldwide (Map
January 5, 2023 - 662,096,600 confirmed infections; 7,507,700 deaths
January 6, 2022 – 298,194,650 confirmed infections; 5,468,100 deaths
January 6, 2021 – 87,157,000 confirmed infections; 1,882,100 deaths

US (Map
January 5, 2023 - 101,043,100 confirmed infections; 1,095,225 deaths
January 6, 2022 – 57,826,000 confirmed infections; 823,359 deaths January 6, 2021 – 21,294,100 confirmed infections; 361,100 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal
January 5, 2023 - 4,049,460 confirmed infections; 102,568 deaths
January 6, 2022 – 3,494,700 confirmed infections; 91,561 deaths January 6, 2021 – 1,150,000 confirmed infections; 30,525 deathsbr />
Post from:
January 6, 2022 – “Enough already!” 
January 6, 2021 – “Over-the-top whackidoodle-itude” 

News blues…

US Congress is at a standstill. It appears there’s no way to move beyond the whacky shenanigans of the whackidoodles. No Speaker of the House of Representatives – after at least 9 sessions of voting for a Speaker – and still no one and nothing accomplished!
Meanwhile…
… [recently] the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid-19 variant dashboard revealed a new dark horse that could soon sweep the field: XBB.1.5.
The CDC estimates that XBB.1.5 has more than doubled its share of the Covid-19 pie each week for the last four, rising from about 4% to 41% of new infections over the month of December. In the Northeast, the CDC estimates, XBB.1.5 is causing 75% of new cases.
“For a few months now, we haven’t seen a variant that’s taken off at that speed,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, director of Covid-19 sequencing at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s virology lab.
Read “Omicron offshoot XBB.1.5 could drive new Covid-19 surge in US” 
***
Is China’s data ‘under-representing’ the true impact of its Covid outbreak?
The UN agency released data provided by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a day after WHO officials met Chinese scientists. China has been reporting daily Covid deaths in single figures.
“We believe that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths.”
China has recorded only 22 Covid deaths since December and has dramatically narrowed the criteria for classifying such fatalities, meaning that Beijing’s own statistics about the unprecedented wave are now widely seen as not reflecting reality.
Read more >> 
***
The Lincoln Project:
McCarthy (v)  (1:00 mins)
MAGA vs. MAGA  (0:56 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

On the eve of her second PET scan, Mary (diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma) got word that the PET scan equipment was out of order so her appointment had been rescheduled. It went from Wednesday January 4 to Friday, 13th.
Recall Mary had surgery on July 14 last year and proceeded to and completed her first set of 4 chemotherapy treatments on November 17. The results of her follow up CT scan on Dec 14 were troubling enough (no clear indication “nodules” were gone) that a follow up PET scan was ordered for January 4.
Now, we wait some more….
Meanwhile…
California is amid continuing flooding from yet another “atmospheric river” – with more on the way.
***
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 7:24am
Sunset: 5:04pm
More rain, rain, rain….

KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:05am
Sunset: 7:03pm
More rain, rain, rain….

With all the rain, I continue to send letters with photos to local KZN road works departments to ensure the disastrous flooding the occurred December 29 does not happen again this year as the rains continue.
Getting effective action is like peeing into the wind: all that happens is more flooding.


Monday, January 2, 2023

Soggy new year 2023

News blues…

…A pandemic has long been known to be far riskier for global security than conventional, nuclear or chemical warfare, said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University and a leading expert in global health.
Read “As COVID turns 3, experts worry where the next pandemic will come from – and if we'll be ready” >> 
***

Public health experts are concerned for omicron’s new subvariant XBB with one study suggesting the strain is resistant to Covid-19 boosters from prior infections. NBC News’ Valerie Castro has more on whether the U.S. is looking at another surge as hospitals are already overwhelmed with RSV and flu cases.
Read more >> 
No country has a perfect COVID-vaccination rate, even this far into the pandemic, but America’s record is particularly dismal. About a third of Americans—more than a hundred million people—have yet to get their initial shots. You can find anti-vaxxers in every corner of the country. But by far the single group of adults most likely to be unvaccinated is Republicans: 37 percent of Republicans are still unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, compared with 9 percent of Democrats. Fourteen of the 15 states with the lowest vaccination rates voted for Donald Trump in 2020. (The other is Georgia.)
Read “How Many Republicans Died Because the GOP Turned Against Vaccines? Party leaders are unquestionably complicit in the premature deaths of their own supporters.” >> 
***
On war… and culture war
American comedian David Letterman interview Ukrainian comedian – and president – Volodymyr Zelenskyy . A touching interview well worth watching >>  (44:00 mins)
Note: More and more Russians are logging onto and reading this blog. If you are Russian, I hope you enjoy it. My pleasure to provide hard-to-get information about the war to you in Russia.

Healthy planet, anyone?

We aim to encourage a healthy planet. We understand, however that our aim and worldview has formidable foes. Take, for example, the tobacco industry and its tie to mesothelioma.
It’s hard to think of anything more reckless than adding a deadly carcinogen to a product that already causes cancer—and then bragging about the health benefits. Yet that’s precisely what Lorillard Tobacco did 60 years ago when it introduced Kent cigarettes, whose patented ‘Micronite” filter contained a particularly virulent form of asbestos.
Smokers puffed their way through 13 billion Kents between March 1952 and May 1956, when Lorillard changed the filter design. Six decades later, the legal fallout continues—just last month, a Florida jury awarded more than $3.5 million in damages to a former Kent smoker stricken with mesothelioma, an extremely rare and deadly asbestos-related cancer that typically shows up decades after the initial exposures.
Read “Remember When Big Tobacco Sold Asbestos as the “Greatest Health Protection”?” >> 
More on asbestos cigarette filters >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Along with torrential rain in Kwa Zulu Natal and California - dramatic flooding here, there, and everywhere – I stepped outside today for a quick walk in the park before the next deluge. Alas, I discovered trees along the park entrance toppled over sometime overnight. This includes a most spectacular and my favorite buckeye. No more walking up to this lovely tree and whispering how beautiful it is and how much I appreciate its glorious candelabra blossoms. 
So sad.

 

***
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 7:24am
Sunset: 5:01pm
More rain, rain, rain….

KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:03am
Sunset: 7:02pm
More rain, rain, rain….